With a name like Levi, it’s a no brainer that people will assume you’re Jewish. So, it does come as a surprise when Zachary Levi admits he’s not Jewish—he just changed his name once he became an actor.

Levi was born with the last name Pugh, which agents suggested he change. “I’d made a rule that I wouldn’t change or bend for Hollywood,” Levi explained in an interview with The New York Post. “So I prayed about it long and hard.”

After deciding to drop Pugh, Levi became well-known for his role on the now-cancelled TV show Chuck. Ironically, Levi has actually lost roles because of his assumed Jewish heritage.

2 Comments

Talya

August 9, 2013 at 9:10 am

Good for him. No one should change who they are. Hollywood puts too high standards on some actors and some of them get so caught up in changing who they really are that they become something that they are not and start to depend on it.

Steve

November 8, 2013 at 4:54 am

Those casting directors sound racist to me, especially since there are so many young, attractive, Jewish actors out there.